Vol. 50 No. 28
October 31, 2019 - November 6, 2019
Publisher’s Corner
Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what people will submit to and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them and these will continue till they have resisted either with words or blows or words or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they suppress. —Fredrick Douglass (1849)
IN MEMORIAM: John Conyers Dies at 90 NNPA NEWSWIRE — Conyers, who was the first African American to chair the powerful House Judiciary Committee, also helped spearhead the 1994 Violence against Women Act. Conyers and 12 other African American members of the House of Representatives founded the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971. By Stacy M.Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia
Email: sbamericannews@gmail.com Clifton Harris Editor in Chief Publisher of The San Bernardino AMERICAN News
Police Chief: How Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney Changed Birmingham BIRMINGHAM TIMES — In three short years, Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney was able to change the city of Birmingham for the better, Police Chief Patrick Smith told a hushed crowd in Linn Park late Wednesday afternoon. Kamille, the 3-year-old girl who was abducted in Birmingham on Oct. 12, was found inside of a dumpster at a landfill on Tuesday.
Photo by: birminghamtimes.com By Barnett Wright
Former U.S. Congressman John Conyers (Photo: United States Congress Official Photo / Wikimedia Commons) Former U.S. Congressman John Conyers, whose 15-year fight to pass legislation that would make Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a federal holiday, has died. He was 90. The longtime Michigan Democrat represented what is now the state’s 13th Congressional District (which includes parts of western Detroit) for more than 50 years. Conyers resigned in 2017. Conyers was born in Detroit in 1929. He was elected to Congress in 1965 and immediately became a forceful voice in the Civil Rights Movement, co-sponsoring the Voting Rights Act of that same year. Conyers was the first African
American to chair the powerful House Judiciary Committee and helped spearhead the 1994 Violence against Women Act. Conyers and 12 other African American members of the House of Representatives founded the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971. “We always knew where he stood on issues of equality and civil rights in the fight for the people,” Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who now represents Conyers’ district, tweeted. “Sad to hear of the passing of former Congressman John Conyers,” the Rev. Al Sharpton stated. “He worked with us on many civil rights cases as Chair of the House Judiciary Committee
and helped lead the fight for the Martin Luther King [Jr.] Holiday.” “Most of us from Michigan loved our congressman. He was idolized and was absolutely an icon. Not only was he an icon of the civil rights movement but we looked to him for leadership. This is a massive loss. All of us in business, the clergy, the community, respected, admired and aspired to be like John Conyers,” Said Hiram Jackson, President and CEO of Real Times Media. “Congressman John Conyers decades ago held the first U.S. Congressional Hearings on Racially-Motivated Police Brutality; led the House Judiciary Hearings on Criminal Justice and
Prison Reform in America; was co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC); and was a leading congressional advocate for the freedom of Angela Davis, the Wilmington Ten, and all political prisoners in the United States,” remarked Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., the president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association. “Conyers was a constitutional scholar and political visionary whose longstanding vision for freedom, justice and equality was unparalleled in the Congress of the United States,” Chavis continued. “May God bless the freedom-fighting memory and legacy of The Honorable John Conyers.” Chavis stated.
Gloria Roberts, This is My Story! By Guest Reporter, Eliz Dowdy
Mrs. Gloria Roberts I had the opportunity to sit and chat with Mrs. Gloria Roberts about her life, it was based upon the fact that a fifty year memorial for her late husband is being planned. Gloria met her future husband in Melbourne, Florida when he was already in the Air Security police, they were married after she graduated from high school. Their wedding date was October 16 1955, by that time she was attending Bethune Cookman College (an HBCU). Her husband Isiah Roberts was transferred to Japan, but she remained in college and finished out the year, shortly afterwards she joined him in Japan where she
resided for two years. By the time they returned to Patrick Air Force Base, FL, the family had grown, with the birth of their son Gary. The family would remain stateside, except for temporary duties for Tech Sgt. Roberts. The family arrived at George AFB, Victorville in 1965, their family had once again increased with two daughters, Terri and Windsor. They were an idealic military family residing on the base, and life was good. Then on the night of April 17, 1969, tragedy struck; the idealic life they had shared was shattered when the office of security police received a telephone call
Tech Sgt. Isiah Roberts. concerning domestic altercation in the housing unit. As a matter of fact; Sgt Roberts knew the family, so he took the call and went with another officer to check out the complaint. As they were leaving the residence, shots rang out. Tech Sgt. Roberts was shot at least five times in the back. The only reason he went on the call was because he knew the airman involved, they had worked together. The aftermath: I asked Mrs. Roberts some deep questions about this period in her life, when the life she was living was shattered in a moment. What was it like as a Believer dealing with
forgiveness towards this individual. She answered truthfully, forgiveness came slowly, finally her youngest daughter, Windsor, said:” I can forgive him”. Mrs. Roberts stated that the fact the accused was sentenced to 7 years to life, but only served seven years at Fort Leavensworth Federal prison was very difficult to deal with. In retrospect, as she looks back there is the undeniable fact that divine intervention carried her and the children through those early years. Though the hurdles were (continued on page 2)
In three short years, Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney was able to change the city of Birmingham for the better, Police Chief Patrick Smith told a hushed crowd in Linn Park late Wednesday afternoon. Kamille, the 3-year-old girl who was abducted in Birmingham on Oct. 12, was found inside of a dumpster at a landfill on Tuesday. During a candlelight vigil for the little girl in downtown Birmingham, Smith said Kamille was able to accomplish something many couldn’t do in a lifetime. “A 3-year-old little girl has changed the landscape of the city of Birmingham,” the chief said. “She made us stop and check ourselves to see if we are doing everything we can to keep our children safe from harm; check to see if we are truly the village we promised to be; check to see if we live up to the expectations of tomorrow and watching our children today the way they need to.” The child, known as “Cupcake” to relatives, vanished while outside a birthday party in the Tom Brown Village housing community. Smith said the city was a little different before Kamille’s abduction. “Ten days ago, I felt that we were a very different city,” the chief said. “Maybe we were a little bit too carefree; maybe there is more we could have done to watch over this little child. But today we’ve come face to face with the hurt, the pain and loss of a beautiful little spirit. Let us not take this moment for granted; let us not take these lessons of devastation for granted.” One way the city has changed is that citizens should “never let our children out of our sights,” Smith said. “Let our eyes be eyes of caring, of passion, of love and compassion for children,” he said. “Let your concerns be heard and
watch over your neighbors and your neighbor’s children and we will be a better city.” The program began beneath a bright sun and in a slight breeze with Mayor Randall Woodfin saying, “we are all Kamille’s family” and introducing the speakers. William Parker, who was elected by his colleagues as the new Birmingham City Council President on Tuesday, was the first to speak. “We are truly hurting as a family, as a city; these are tough times but we are going to pull through this,” Parker said. “It is going to take all of us collectively working together to make sure we support the family.” Parker was followed by Smith who said his officers wanted nothing more than to bring Kamille home safely and “worked endlessly to do that . . .I can’t imagine the pain of the family of Kamille but I want them to know that we as a family stand with them.” On Tuesday, Smith said police were obtaining murder warrants against two people previously identified as persons of interest in the case, 39-year-old Patrick Devone Stallworth and his 29year-old girlfriend, Derick Irisha Brown. Lawyers for both have said they are innocent. Wednesday’s vigil was a diverse gathering of people from across the Birmingham metro area including various faith-based leaders that included Rev. Julia Conrady, of Unitarian Universal Church of Birmingham; Minister Ashfaq Taufique, of the Birmingham Islamic Society; Rabbi Adam Wright, of Temple Emanu-El and Pastor Mike McClure, Jr. of the Rock Church. Erica Wright contributed to this story. This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.
Our Values, Mission, & Vision Statement Our Values: Treat all people with care, respect, honor, and dignity. Tell it as it is with love, truth and integrity. Promote the interests of advertisers and sponsors along their strategic interest for the betterment of the community and beyond. Speak truth to power. Our Mission: To continuously improve communication between all people of the world. Our Vision: To be the best community newspaper in our region and the nation. Provider of: A voice for the poor, the underserved, those that are marginalized, Positive and edifying news about people, places and businesses. Keep San Bernardino, Riverside, and Los Angeles Counties informed about global trends while retaining the consciousness of local events and processes. Memberships and Associations: The San Bernardino American Newspaper is a member of the California Newspaper Publishers Association, National Newspaper Association and addociated with California Black Media.